Bill to regulate health related crimes nears sanctioning
Uruguay Impact | Negative Probability | High Civicus Rating | Open On April 15, the Constitution and Legislation Committee of the Senate backed the bill which seeks to modify article 224 of the Penal Code, related to the violation of health provisions. Through the reform, it is proposed that a person breaching the provisions in […]
Government eliminates fees required to access public information
Guatemala Impact | Positive Civicus Rating | Obstructed On April 20, the National Registry of Persons (RENAP) issued a new agreement through which it repealed the charge of a fee for obtaining public information related to statistics and data included in its records. This comes amid a recommendation from the Human Rights Ombudsman (PDH) and […]
Mobile phone companies, obliged by law to share the personal information of their users
Mexico Impact | Negative Civicus Rating | Repressed On April 16, President Obrador enacted a legislative decree creating a National Registry of Mobile Telephone Users – that is, a database holding personal information to be used to fight crimes such as extortion and kidnapping. Telecommunications service providers will be responsible for collecting and registering information […]
Bill to control access to international financing moves forward in the National Assembly
Venezuela Impact | Negative Probability | High Civicus Rating | Repressed On April 15, the International Cooperation Bill passed its first reading at the Foreign Policy Committee of the National Assembly. At least, so reports the web page of the Cambiemos party, to which the president of the Committee belongs. However, there has been no […]
Government to present a bill aimed at regulating social networks
Venezuela Impact | Negative Probability | High Civicus Rating | Repressed The Minister of Communication in Venezuela, Freddy Ñañez, announced that the government will submit to the National Assembly a bill to regulate social networks. The statement came a few days after Facebook temporarily suspended Nicolás Maduro’s account for recommending the use of Carvativir to […]
New regulation obliges CSOs to register with the Office against Terrorist Financing
Venezuela Impact | Negative Civicus Rating | Repressed On March 30, the Venezuelan government released through the Official Gazette an administrative measure that obliges civil society organizations to register in the Unified Registry of Subjects Obligated by the Organic Law against Organized Crime and Financing of Terrorism, approved in 2012. Ruling No. 001-2021 establishes the […]
Landmark Escazú Agreement on environmental human rights enters into force
Latin America Last April 22, the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, better known as the Escazú Agreement, entered into force. Signed in September 2018 by 24 countries and so far ratified by just 12, it came after six years […]
“Blaming the messenger”: five Latin American presidents against NGOs
Latin America It is legitimate in principle for presidents to defend their actions in the face of allegations or accusations, uphold their ideals and respond to proposals from other political or social actors. What is not valid is taking refuge in their investiture to misrepresent or provoke those who in one way or another criticize […]
After complaints of bias in COVID-19 vaccine application, government launched open data registry
Argentina Impact | Postive Probability | Low Civicus Rating | Limited At the end of March, the National Ministry of Health and the Secretariat of Public Innovation launched a new vaccination registry in open data format with information on the age, gender, vaccine and application status of vaccinated individuals that was previously unavailable. This initiative […]
The opposition promotes a bill to regulate by law the access to public information
Bolivia Impact | Positive Probability | Medium Civicus Rating | Obstructed Deputy Carlos Alarcón, head of the opposition bench of the Comunidad Ciudadana Party – the second largest in the Chamber of Deputies – presented an initiative to regulate access to public information and ensure transparency in state management. This bill recognizes access to information […]